braces to one of the iron bars of the window, his knees resting on the floor, and quite dead. He had been in good health and spirits, and perfectly sober, up to the last moment of his being seen alive; having observed, in answer to enquiries, that what he had just been swearing to he had mentioned to two or three persons, whom he named, shortly after the facts had happened. An inquest was held on his body, and a verdict returned of felo de se. To return, however-Goldsborough, having heard the whole of the evidence thus adduced against him, including, of course, that of Groundy, voluntarily made and sign ed the following statement, which also I shall present to you verbatim : "On Thursday the 22d July 1830, William Huntley came to my house, and stopped and talked awhile, and asked me to take a walk with him. We took a walk down over the bridge, and through Sir William Foulis' plantation. We sat down on the side of the footpath, in the plantation; and he says, I want you to look at some papers I have;' and so he pulled them out of his inside coat pocket, one a largish paper, which he had got from Mr Garbutt, and he says I have been drawing my money,' and said he had drawn L.85, 16s., and he said, what is the reason of all this money kept back?' I looked at the paper, and told him what the sums were for. He said he did not want it mentioned to every person, for Dalkin, Robert Moon, and some others, who wanted money of him, would be at him. I told him I had nothing to do with it-I should say nothing about it-so we came home together, and he was backwards and forwards out of our house, and other houses in the town, all the day. He laid with me all night, as he generally used to do when he came to the town. He was backwards and forwards all the next day, and he hired a cart and brought a loom down from Robert Moon's, and sold it to George Farnaby that day, and he stopped all night again, and slept with me, and then he came to Stokesley on the Saturday, and tried me several times to go to America with him. I went with him to Stokesley. We were together awhile at Stokesley on that day, and then we parted, and I never saw him any more until the Thursday following, and he came down to me at Farnaby's shop at Hutton, and called of me out, and pushed me sadly to go to America with him, and I told him I had two children, and I should not leave them, as I was both father and mother to them. So he stopped awhile, and he said if I would not go, he could not force me; but if I would go, I should share with him as long as he had a halfpenny. I refused, and he stopped on a while, and we went out, and I set him down a few yards from the door, and left him. We shaked hands and parted; and he said, if Mr Garbutt did not put it out about his money, he would stop a few days longer, if people did not get to know about it. I have no more to say about it. That was the very last time I clapped my eyes upon him. If it was the last words I had to speak, I never was in Crathorne Woods, nor Weary Bank Woods, with Thomas Groundy. You may think it's a lie; but if it were the last words I had to speak, I never was with him. "ROBERT GOLDSBOROUGH." He was then committed to York Castle, to take his trial at the next spring assizes for Yorkshire-an occasion looked forward to with universal interest by the inhabitants of that great county. Accordingly, at nine o'clock on Wednesday morning, the 9th of March 1842, he made his appearance at the bar of the Crown Court, before Mr Baron Rolfe-than whom a more patient, acute, and clearheaded judge could not have been selected to try such a case-to meet the fearful charge now made against him, of the "wilful murder of William Huntley, by discharging at him a loaded gun, and thereby giving him a mortal wound, of which he instantly died." "Put up Robert Goldsborough," said the clerk of arraigns to the governor of the castle, as soon as Mr Baron Rolfe had taken his seat; and in a few moments' time a man was led along to the bar of the court, whose appearance instantly excited in me a mixed feeling of pity and suspicionthe latter, however, predominating. He was forty-seven years of age, of average make and height, wearing an old but decent-looking drab greatcoat, a printed cotton neckerchief, clean shirt-collar, and a pair of some.. what tarnished doeskin gloves. His He ap peared to me a man of firm nerves, or rather perhaps of slow feeling, who had made up his mind to the worst. Was he not an object of profound interest? Had he really done the deed which now, after so many years' concealment, was to be dragged into the light of day? Had he shot dead the companion walking beside him in un suspicious sociality, rifled the bleeding body, and then thrust it, in the dead of the night, into the earth?-or was he standing there as innocent of the crime imputed to him as the judge who was to try him, yet long blighted by unjust suspicion, and now despairing of a fair trial-the miserable victim of blind and cruel prejudice to be convicted, within a few days hanged, his body buried within the precincts of the prison; and presently afterwards William Huntley to appear again, alive and well! The counsel for the prosecution opened the case with candour and judgment, giving a very clear account of the facts he expected to be able to establish; and in one of his observations the judge subsequently expressed his anxious concurrence, namely, the necessity there was for the jury to be on their guard against a certain air of romance which seemed shed over the case, and against a se cret notion that the guilt of a longhidden murder was destined, by some sort of special providence, to be brought home against the person now charged with it. I shall now proceed to give you a condensed and accurate account of all the material facts proved-you keeping your eye, all the while, on any points of coincidence or contradiction that may strike you; and I shall add such observations on the demeanour and character of the witnesses, as may possibly enable you the better to appreciate the value of their evidence. You are already supplied with a key to it, in the brief narrative I have given you in the former part of this article. At the instance of the prisoner's counsel, all the witnesses were ordered out of court before the counsel opened the case for the prosecution. The following, then, was the evidence adduced to prove, first, that William Huntley had been murdered; and secondly, by Robert Goldsborough, the prisoner at the bar. William Garbutt, a solicitor, proved the facts stated, at the commencement of the narrative, as to the family, the property, the person of William Huntley; particularly the prominent tooth, the payment to him of L.85, 16s. 4d. on Thursday the 22d July 1830. He had examined the skull which had been found, and, from his recollection of the form of Huntley's countenance, believed it to have been his. He had never heard Huntley talk of going to America. A warrant had been issued against Garbutt in 1830, but unsuccessfully, as he had then absconded, and never since been heard of. George Farnaby had known both Huntley and Goldsborough well. They were very intimate; and the last time he had seen them together was on Thursday, 29th July 1830. He saw Goldsborough enter his house (which was in the same yard as the witness's house) about 3 P. M. the next day, (Friday,) with a sort of sack, but could not guess what it contained, nor whether it was light or heavy. On the next evening, (Sunday,) Goldsborough stood at his window, and pressed the witness to accompany him to Yarm fair the next morning, saying, that a man there owed him L.5; which sum Goldsborough offered to lend to the witness. Goldsborough went to the fair, and bought a cow. there, and put it into a field belonging to witness. A week afterwards I was at Goldsborough's, when Dalkin called to enquire after Huntley. Goldsborough said, Huntley had gone to Whitby to sail for America. The witness had himself heard Huntley speak, at different times, of going to America. Robert Braithwatte saw Huntley come to Goldsborough's door, knock, and be admitted, about five o'clock in the morning of Friday, 30th July 1830. He had a particular tooth in his under jaw, which pushed his lips out. Witness had seen the skull and jaw-bone; and the tooth in it corresponded exactly with that of Huntley. Just before his disappearance, witness (a tailor) had made him a dark-green coat with yellow roundish buttons, raised in the middle; a yellowish striped waistcoat with yellow buttons; and a pair of patent cord trowsers, with a yellow sandy cast, and a broadish rib; and he distinctly observed that Huntley wore those trowsers when he called at Goldsborough's, at five o'clock on the Friday morning. Witness had known Goldsborough all his life. He was always very poor, and unable to pay witness for his clothes without the greatest difficulty. James Gears was sitting smoking his pipe on the road-side, (where he was engaged breaking stones,) at Hutton Rudby, between three and four o'clock in the afternoon of Friday, 30th July 1830. Huntley, Goldsborough, and Garbutt came up together, lit their pipes at mine, and then went down the lane, northward, towards Middleton. That was the last time he ever saw Huntley. On Wednesday, 4th August 1830, Goldsborough and I were walking together towards some potato fields, and he pulled a quantity of silver out of his left-hand pocket, and four or five L.5 bank-notes out of his righthand pocket. I knew them by the stamp to be L.5 notes. He told me they were Bank of England notes. I said, Robert, thou's well off-much better than I: I work hard for my family, and yet never have a penny to call my own." He said he had got the money out of the Stockton-on-Tees bank, where he could draw money whenever he wanted it, for he dealt in poultry. He had always till then been very poor; having many times occasion to borrow a little meal and a little flour from the witness. The witness had mentioned the circumstance of the three men lighting their pipes from his, to Bewick the constable, on Monday the 2d August 1830. [If that were so, he must have then had his suspicions against Goldsborough; and it is rather odd that two days afterwards he should be walking so familiarly with Goldsborough, and should not have challenged him more strictly as to his suddenly acquired wealth. As singular is it, that Goldsborough, if guilty, should have so stupidly exhibited it to one who well knew his previous poverty; and that, too, at the very time when every body was beginning to suspect him as Huntley's murderer.] James Braithwatte-The last time he ever saw Huntley was about eight o'clock in the evening of Friday, 30th July 1830, sitting on a box near the fire-place in Goldsborough's house. His face was full towards witness, who saw him quite plainly. On Monday, 2d August 1830, was Yarm fair-day; and on witness passing along the high-road, about nine o'clock in the evening, he observed a pool of blood about fifty yards from the bridge, which is a little below Foxton Bank, on the road from Yarm to Rudby. He mentioned the circumstance the same day to Brigham, the constable. About ten days afterwards, in passing Goldsborough's house about ten o'clock one night, he observed a large fire, and went in, and told Goldsborough that there was a strong smell of woollen burning. He replied that he had been burning some old rags. witness soon after reminded him that it was bed-time, and said, "Aren't you going to bed?" He replied "No; I can't sleep." The James Maw-[By far the most important witness in the case. A violent attempt was made to impeach his credit; but in my opinion, and in that of all I conversed with, quite unsuccessfully. He was about forty years old, very calm and collected-with a sort of quaint frankness of manner, and gave his evidence in a fair, straightforward way.] The last time he had ever seen Huntley was about nine o'clock on the night of Friday, 30th July 1830, near the bridle-road leading to Crathorne Wood, in company with Goldsborough, who carried a new gun, and Garbutt-all three of whom the witness had long known well. Huntley wore a dark green coat, a yellow neckcloth, (that the witness particularly noticed,) and darkish trowsers and waistcoat. He spoke to witness, and said, "Where hast thou been, thou caffy dog? [which was a common expression of Huntley's.] Wilt go along with us?"-"No," replied the witness; "you'll be getting into mischief with your poaching !" "Do thou go with us," said Huntley; "we're going to try a new gun, and, if we catch a hare, we'll go to Crathorne, have it stewed, and get some ale." He then pulled out of his pockets some notes, showed them to the witness, and said, "I've plenty of money-I've been to Mr Garbutt's, and drawn part of my fortune." On this, Goldsborough said, "Put up thy money, thou fool; why art exposing it that way?" and then he added, (but the witness was not sure whether to Huntley or Garbutt,) "We'll have nobody with us." They then went on through the gate on to Crathorne bridle-road, and the witness went home, which he reached about ten o'clock. [I shall give the remainder of his evidence in his own words.] "On Saturday, 7th August, Bewick the constable and I went to the shop of Hall, a butcher at Hutton Rudby, and there we had some talk about Huntley's being missing; and we and several others went that night to Golds. borough's house. Bewick said Goldy, there are strange reports about Huntley; what hast thou really done with him?' Goldsborough was very much agitated, making no answer for some time; then said he had set Huntley on the Whitby road as far as Easley Bridge, to take ship for America. But I said that was very unlikely, for there had been no ship advertised to go to America. Shortly afterwards, he said he had set Huntley on the Tontine road, to take coach for Liverpool-which was in the op posite direction to Whitby. I asked if Huntley had booked at the Tontine? Goldsborough said no, he had got on the coach beyond the Tontine. On this we all told him these were two opposite tales. I forget what his answer was, but he seemed very much agitated-so much so, that he quite shook, and required to use both his hands to put his hat on. Bewick and I at another time went to call on him, and found him walking up and down before some houses near his own. Bewick said, "Now, really tell us, what hast thou done with Huntley?" He answered and said-[that was the formal style in which much of the witness's evidence was given] -'I set him up Carlton Bank, to go into Bilsdale, to see some friends of his.' We said that was again another dif ferent story; but I forget his answer. The same evening, I and four other men, (some of them constables,) who all died of the cholera when it was here, went to Goldsborough's house to search it he not objecting to it. We found a pair of woollen corded trowsers, an old waistcoat, and an old coat. I could almost have sworn they were all Huntley's. We also found six new shirts, marked W. H. 1,' ‹ W. H. 2,' ‹ W. H. 3,' ‹ W. H. 4,' W. H. 5,' 'W. H. 6,' in an oldfashioned piece of furniture, like a box or press, up stairs; not in the room where one Hannah Best was engaged washing. The shirts had been made by one Hannah Butterwick; she was then there, and is now living, but I know not where. We asked Goldsborough how he explained all these things; and he said that Huntley had given the things to him. We said, 'No, no; he's too greedy a man for that;' on which Goldsborough said he had lent Huntley money, and he had left these things in part payment. There was a watch, seemingly of silver, with 'W. H.' engraved on the back, hanging up over the fireplace. We took it down, and examined it. There were two papers inside, one with the name of Mr Needham,' the other Mr Stephenson, watch and clock-maker, Stokesley.' Goldsborough gave the same account of the watch as he had given of the clothes and shirts. There was a gun up the stairs, like the one I had observed in his hand when I last saw him with Huntley: it was new-looking. His sister-in-law pointed to it, crying, and saying, Oh, Robert, this is the thing thou'st either killed or hurt Huntley with.' He replied, "Hold thy tongue, thou fool!' and was much agitated. I afterwards made one of those who went to search for Huntley's body. About fifty yards from that part of the road where the blood was found, near Foxton Bridge, I recollect seeing a place, in a potato ground, where the earth seemed to have been newly dug. [It certainly seems most unaccountable that, if this circumstance really had been observed at that time, a spot so challenging suspicion should not have been instantly examined.] After we had been searching some time, we met Goldsborough, who said, Where have you been searching to-day? Several persons replied In Foxton Beek, Foxton Woods, and Middleton and Crathorne Woods.' Goldsborough answered, He's far more likely to be found in Stokesley Beck."" [The very place where the skeleton was found.] The witness then described Huntley's face, particularly his projecting tooth; and said he had seen the skull and jaw-bone, with the projecting tooth in it, just in the same place as Huntley's was, and projecting in the same way. John Sanderson lived in a house 200 yards from Crathorne Wood, and well recollected hearing, about eleven or twelve o'clock on the night of Friday, 30th July 1830, (the Friday before Yarm fair,) a shot fired in the wood; and a second within about a minute afterwards. It seemed about a quarter of a mile off. He got up and listened; but heard nothing more. There was game in the wood, and there were sometimes poachers. Bartholomew Goldsborough - On going on Monday morning, 2d August 1830, to Yarm fair, saw a pool of stale-looking blood, about one and a half feet in diameter, lying on the high-road, (which was not much frequented,) a little on the Crathorne side of the road, and in a slanting direction towards the gate leading into Crathorne Wood. He had noticed this blood before he had heard that Huntley was missing. The place where the blood lay was from four to six miles' distance from Stokesley Beck, where the skeleton was found. Thomas Richardson had sold Goldsborough a single barrelled gun, on Monday, 26th July 1830, for 8s. It was an old one, but cleaned and polished up so as to look like a new one. He did not pay for it, saying, he would take it on trial. A day or two after Yarm Fair, (which was on Monday, 2d August 1830,) the witness called on him for payment. Goldsborough Isaid he would return it-he did not want it, and had not used it. The witness thrust his finger down the muzzle, and when he drew it out it was dirty with the mark of powder. The witness showed him the finger, and told him he had used the gun; which the witness then took away. When the witness entered Goldsborough's house, the latter was engaged at a chest, in which were some clothes; he particularly recollected seeing a pair of woollen cord trowsers, broad striped, and a yellow cast with them; a yellow waistcoat with a dark stripe, with gilt buttons. There were other clothes of a dark colour. The trowsers and waistcoat were Huntley's-for the witness had seen him wear them. He had also seen Huntley wearing a green coat with brass buttons, having a nob on them. [This witness gave his evidence in a satisfactory manner; and admitted, on cross-examination, having been once or twice, some time before, imprisoned for poaching, and once for having stolen some goslings; of which, however, he strenuously declared that he had not been guilty. Mr Baron Rolfe, in summing up, seemed to attach no weight to these circumstances as impeaching the value of his evidence.] Joseph Dalkin. Heard on Sunday, 1st August 1830, of Huntley's disappearance, and went on that day to Goldsborough's, to enquire after him. Goldsborough said he had set Huntley along Stokesley Lane-that he was going to sail for America from Whitby, at four o'clock on the next morning, (Monday.) Witness said he would go and stop him, for he owed witness L.4 for a suit of clothes. Goldsborough said, " Huntley and I have had all that matter talked over about his owing thee money; he never intends paying thee-and it's of no use thy going after him." The witness, however, did go immediately to Whitby, (a distance of thirty miles,) and searched the whole town for Huntley, but in vain: nor was there any vessel going to America. When the witness measured Huntley, he wore a pair of patent cord trowsers, with broad rib, and yellowish cast. He had pressed Huntley several times, in vain, to pay his bill. George Bewick, a linen manufacturer, and also, in 1830, a constable. He had known Huntley, and recollected his disappearance. In consequence of hearing of it, he went soon after to Hall's (the butcher's) shop, where were Goldsborough and several others; but he did not then recollect whether the witness Maw |